Written Answers Friday 12 September 2008

Scottish Executive

Ambulance Service

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the answers to questions S3W-14677 and S3W-15349 by Shona Robison on 18 July 2008 and Nicola Sturgeon on 14 August 2008 respectively, what increase in fuel would have to take place in order for the expectation outlined in the answer to question S3W-13596 by Shona Robison on 5 June 2008 to be realised.

Shona Robison: These are operational decisions for the Scottish Ambulance Service. The mileage rates were last reviewed in August during which month fuel prices fell. I have been assured by the Scottish Ambulance Service that the current rate remains sufficient to cover these fuel costs. The rates are also calculated on some other factors, such as additional wear and tear on vehicles. I am advised by the ambulance service that, all other factors being equal, these rates will cover fuel price increases of some 40% on current levels.

  The ambulance service continues to review the rates on a monthly basis.

Animal Welfare

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to reverse the ban on the docking of tails of working dogs.

Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has no immediate plans to reverse the ban on the docking of tails of working dogs but has contributed £10,000 towards a UK case control study, to estimate the risk of tail injury to dogs. This is due to end in the spring of 2009. When the results of the study are known, consideration will be given as to whether the policy on tail docking needs to be reviewed.

Birds

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive by how much it estimates that the raven population has increased in the last 10 years.

Richard Lochhead: The UK Breeding Bird Survey which undertakes counts in the breeding season in more than 3,000 one kilometre squares in the UK. Currently data exists from 1994 to 2007 and indicates long-term increase in raven numbers in the UK of more than 50%. The Scottish population is believed to have increased by 155% since 1994, though there is uncertainty surrounding this estimate. Independent lines of evidence support increase in numbers and range of ravens in Scotland, although the total population is still relatively small at about 2,500 to 6,000 breeding pairs.

Birds

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of raven predation on (a) other bird species and (b) lambs.

Richard Lochhead: No direct assessment of the impact of raven predation on lambs has been undertaken by the Scottish Government or Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). However, in view of the recent interest in raven predation, SNH, in conjunction with RSPB and the Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability, is carrying out an analysis of upland bird survey data to assess long term trends in particular species of bird and determine whether there is an association between changes in raven numbers and changes in the populations of upland breeding birds (especially breeding waders). The work is due to report by the end of this calendar year, with a final report, early in 2009.

  SNH works closely with Scottish Government officials on raven predation and provides advice on licence applications to take or kill ravens causing serious damage to livestock, as part of an overall scaring regime. The Scottish Government has now made available a two-year licence in response to reported increases in raven attacks on livestock. A farmer holding a two-year licence will be able to deal with the problem as soon as it occurs without having to wait for a fresh application to be considered.

Care of Elderly People

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) announced and (b) unannounced visits have been carried out by the Care Commission to each care home for the elderly in each of the last five years.

Shona Robison: Inspection of registered care services is an operational matter for the Care Commission within the requirements of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 (the Act). The information requested is not held centrally.

  The Care Commission is required, under Section 25 of the act, to inspect care home services, including care homes for older people, at least twice yearly. One of these inspections must be unannounced.

  The member can contact the chief executive of the commission at the following address:

  Ms Jacquie Roberts Chief Executive Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care Compass House 11 Riverside Drive Dundee DD1 4NY

  Email: Jacquie.roberts@carecommission.com.

Concessionary Travel

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact fare increases for bus passengers will have on the amounts bus operators are expected to claim as reimbursement from the concessionary travel budget in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10.

Stewart Stevenson: The concessionary travel budget is a limited budget that is increased year-on-year using a cost escalator based on bus industry running costs rather than the fare increases implemented by each operator. The full impact of any fare increases are not therefore necessarily reflected in the level of reimbursement made in any given financial year.

Contraception

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many emergency contraception treatments were dispensed by the NHS in each year since 1997, also broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) local authority area.

Shona Robison: The figures below show the numbers of prescription items dispensed in Scotland for Levonorgestrel ® products licensed for use as emergency hormonal contraception (EHC). The following table gives figures by NHS board for 1997-98 to 2007-08, information by local authority is not held centrally.

  These figures do not capture all emergency contraception treatments supplied under the NHS. Depending on the model of service delivery some data from Family Planning Clinics and Community Pharmacies is not held centrally.

  

 
 1997-98
 1998-99
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02


 NHS Scotland
 0
 0
 864
 19,134
 29,706


 NHS Argyll and Clyde 1
 0
 0
 50
 1,057
 1,752


 NHS Ayrshire and Arran
 0
 0
 60
 1,388
 1,935


 NHS Borders
 0
 0
 *
 692
 963


 NHS Dumfries and Galloway
 0
 0
 15
 605
 1,008


 NHS Fife
 0
 0
 56
 1,728
 2,260


 NHS Forth Valley
 0
 0
 128
 1,545
 2,076


 NHS Grampian
 0
 0
 96
 2,199
 3,200


 NHS Greater Glasgow
 0
 0
 190
 3,451
 4,637


 NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde2
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -


 NHS Highland (pre April 2006)
 0
 0
 68
 1,243
 1,629


 NHS Highland (post April 2006)2
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -


 NHS Lanarkshire
 0
 0
 85
 1,884
 3,158


 NHS Lothian
 0
 0
 51
 1,684
 4,354


 NHS Orkney
 0
 0
 *
 125
 176


 NHS Shetland
 0
 0
 *
 161
 196


 NHS Tayside
 0
 0
 47
 1,275
 2,198


 NHS Western Isles
 0
 0
 *
 97
 164



  

 
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08


 NHS Scotland
 32,563
 31,894
 27,198
 25,751
 22,343
 20,905


 NHS Argyll and Clyde 1
 2,033
 2,060
 1,831
 1,714
 -
 -


 NHS Ayrshire and Arran
 1,606
 1,302
 1,009
 968
 783
 714


 NHS Borders
 988
 880
 881
 773
 713
 614


 NHS Dumfries and Galloway
 1,007
 1,006
 614
 589
 435
 445


 NHS Fife
 1,812
 1,617
 1,150
 1,054
 808
 709


 NHS Forth Valley
 2,215
 2,284
 1,967
 1,471
 1,282
 1,037


 NHS Grampian
 3,154
 3,038
 2,761
 2,594
 2,176
 2,190


 NHS Greater Glasgow
 5,139
 5,123
 4,634
 4,946
 -
 -


 NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde2
 -
 -
 -
 -
 5,613
 5,035


 NHS Highland (pre April 2006)
 1,792
 1,675
 1,461
 1,479
 -
 -


 NHS Highland (post April 2006)2
 -
 -
 -
 -
 1,623
 1,541


 NHS Lanarkshire
 3,864
 3,924
 3,427
 3,145
 2,927
 2,772


 NHS Lothian
 6,083
 6,093
 5,060
 4,790
 4,065
 3,968


 NHS Orkney
 193
 235
 162
 115
 86
 99


 NHS Shetland
 231
 212
 188
 182
 152
 130


 NHS Tayside
 2,256
 2,261
 1,914
 1,814
 1,559
 1,548


 NHS Western Isles
 190
 184
 139
 117
 121
 103



  Notes:

  1. NHS Argyll and Clyde ceased to exist as a single entity from April 2006.

  2. From April 2006, the Argyll and Bute part of old NHS Argyll and Clyde was absorbed into NHS Highland and the remainder into NHS Greater Glasgow to become NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

  *These numbers have been suppressed in order to protect against the risk of disclosure for small numbers (<5).

  Data in the table refer to prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors in Scotland, but do not take into account medicines dispensed by hospitals or hospital based clinics.

Drug Misuse

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many babies have been born addicted to drugs in each year since 1997, also broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) local authority area.

Shona Robison: The information requested in each year from 1997-98 to 2004-05 is provided in a document containing four tables, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 46517).

  Information for 2005-06 and 2006-07 will become available in the 2008 Drugs Misuse Report, which is due to be released later this year at:

  http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/publications/abstracts/ISDbull.htm.

Drug Misuse

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to tackle problems associated with the misuse of prescription drugs.

Shona Robison: The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for monitoring the safety of all medicines on the UK market, including concerns about misuse. The MHRA uses a variety of methods to collect information on the safety of prescription medicines and takes appropriate action to safeguard public health. In the past the MHRA has taken regulatory action for a number of medicines including paracetamol, codeine, co-proxamol and pseudoephedrine/ephedrine.

  Further information about the work of the MHRA can be found at www.mhra.gov.uk.

Fisheries

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions the Scottish Government has had with Her Majesty’s Government on the landing of tope from the Solway Firth.

Richard Lochhead: There have been no discussions with Her Majesty’s Government on the landing of tope from the Solway Firth.

Fisheries

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is monitoring tope stocks in the Solway Firth.

Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government receives advice on the state of fish stocks from a variety of sources including the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas, Fisheries Research Services, landings data and real time information from the fishing industry and the sea angling community.

Fisheries

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive at what level it considers tope stock would become at risk in the Solway Firth.

Richard Lochhead: Generally the Scottish Government receives advice on the state of fish stocks from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) and would consider stocks to be at risk when ICES advises so. ICES currently provides no advice on tope stocks.

  The Scottish Government does not believe the 12 tonnes landed by Scottish boats since 2000 represents a significant threat to the health of the tope stock. This situation will be kept under review and will be consider within the wider context of the management of all elasmobranch stocks.

Flood Prevention

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that the maintenance of road ditches, drains and culverts is adequate across Scotland in order to minimise flood risk.

Michael Russell: It is of course for local authorities to fulfil their statutory duties in these areas.

Flood Prevention

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its proposed Bill on flooding will make provision to ensure that each local authority adequately maintains road ditches, culverts and drains in order to minimise the risk of flooding.

Michael Russell: The bill will continue the current duty on local authorities to assess watercourses to ascertain their risk of flooding. Maintenance requirements that are identified will inform the maintenance schedule in a local flood risk management plan.

Flood Prevention

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what duties local authorities are under to keep road ditches, culverts and drains clear to minimise flood risk.

Michael Russell: Under the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961, local authorities are under a duty to clean, repair or otherwise maintain any watercourse in their area to a due state of efficiency where such action would substantially reduce the likelihood of flooding of non-agricultural land, within or outwith their area. However, this duty does not apply where the watercourse and the land concerned are in the same ownership. Local authorities have a statutory duty under Section 1 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to maintain local roads.

Fresh Talent Initiative

David McLetchie (Edinburgh Pentlands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-14928 by Linda Fabiani on 7 August 2008, when it intends to publish a further report on the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme and whether the report will (a) assess the extent to which the recent growth in the population of Scotland is directly attributable to the measures comprised in the scheme and (b) compare this growth with population growth in other parts of the United Kingdom to which these measures did not apply.

Linda Fabiani: The Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme: Evidence Review report is now available on the Scottish Government website at www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/Recent . A copy of the report will also be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 46484).

Health

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it is investing in research into the incidence of Crohn’s disease.

Shona Robison: Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) is currently funding three projects relating to IBD at a total cost of £492,000. The Scottish Government is not, however, currently funding research looking specifically at the incidence of Crohn’s disease.

  The Register of Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease, based at the Institute of Child Health within the University of Liverpool, aims is to establish incidence figures and trends for all patients under the age of 16 who are newly diagnosed with IBD from 47 selected centres in Scotland, England and Wales. One of the aims of the register is to promote research projects.

Health

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is monitoring the incidence of Crohn’s disease and what conclusions it has drawn from any such research.

Shona Robison: The Information Services Division (ISD) of NHS National Services Scotland collects data on Crohn’s disease relating to the number of people who are discharged from hospital with a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease. As these data do not include people with the condition who are being managed outwith hospital, they cannot shed light on any trends in its incidence.

  ISD is developing a Long Term Conditions Information Programme which will underpin a systematic approach to the management in Scotland of conditions such as Crohn’s disease.

Health

Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurse consultant posts specialising in neurology there are, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally. The planning of the workforce, including staff specialising in neurology, is a matter for NHS boards who are responsible for planning services in their area based on need. Services for people with long-term conditions are also for NHS boards to plan and fund from budgets made available by the Scottish Government. People with long-term conditions are supported by a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency team. This will include specialist nurses, medical staff and allied health professionals to make sure their needs are met.

Health

Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many multiple sclerosis specialist (a) physiotherapist, (b) psychiatrist and (c) occupational therapist posts there are, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally. The planning of the workforce, including staff specialising in multiple sclerosis, is a matter for NHS boards who are responsible for planning services in their area based on need. services for people with long-term conditions are also for NHS boards to plan and fund from budgets made available by the Scottish Government. People with long-term conditions are supported by a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency team. This will include specialist nurses, medical staff and allied health professionals to make sure their needs are met.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many GP practices are not in the NHS.

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15000 on 29 July 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-14201 by Shona Robison on 24 June 2008, what response has been received from each NHS board to the Minister for Public Health’s letter encouraging boards to formalise their working relationships with organisations such as the Scottish Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Shona Robison: NHS Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, Fife, Forth Valley, Grampian, Lanarkshire, Lothian, Shetland and Tayside indicated that they were either providing 50% support for the services provided by Scottish Motor Neurone Disease Association, or were in the process of developing an agreement with the association.

Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken since the debate on motion S3M-73 on motor neurone disease (MND), in addition to the letter from the Minister for Public Health to NHS boards encouraging them to formalise their working relationships with organisations such as the Scottish Motor Neurone Disease Association, to examine the concept of shared funding, along the lines of hospice funding, to provide additional support to carers of people with MND and to ensure equity of access for them and their families.

Shona Robison: Better Health, Better Care signalled our intention of carrying out a strategic review of the way in which NHSScotland supports voluntary organisations, in order to explore ways in which to enhance the sustainability of programmes that demonstrate clear benefits to patients and their carers.

  A key way of improving services is by implementing clinical standards. NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) is working on clinical standards specifically for Motor Neurone Disease as part of its overall work on neurological standards.

  Officials from the Health Directorates had discussions some time ago with the Scottish Motor Neurone Disease Association about developing a Managed Clinical Network for MND at a national level, and we have indicated our willingness to provide support and advice for this work.

  We are also taking a number of steps to help make sure that carers can access the support they need to care effectively and are providing £9 million over the next three years so that NHSScotland can improve carer identification and information and help expand carers’ centre support. In addition, we will be setting out our priorities in a new Carers’ Strategy next year, based on a review of progress against the recommendations of the Care 21 Report The Future of Unpaid Care in Scotland.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when NHS Quality Improvement Scotland last carried out an inspection of hospital-acquired infection in (a) the Vale of Leven Hospital, (b) NHS Argyll and Clyde and (c) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Argyll and Clyde and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde were both visited during 2004-05 as part of the Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) standards peer review programme. The Vale of Leven Hospital was part of NHS Argyll and Clyde Acute Hospitals Trust at this time.

  NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) standards are considered for revision and updating every three years. The most recent standards were published in March 2008, and future arrangements for performance assessment against the standards are in development. Further information is available on the NHS QIS website at:

  http://www.nhshealthquality.org/nhsqis/controller?p_service=Content.showandp_applic=CCCandpContentID=4099.

  The NHS QIS review process is just one of the ways in which we monitor NHS board performance against HAI Targets, and given the importance of hand hygiene compliance, I have requested that Health Protection Scotland (HPS) move from three to two monthly reporting on NHS boards compliance from January 2009. I have also increased the target of 90% compliance by November 2008 to 95% compliance by April 2009.

Justice

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) crimes and (b) offences were prosecuted in Edinburgh Sheriff Court in each of the last 10 years and what percentage resulted in a conviction.

Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following tables.

  Persons Prosecuted and Persons Convicted of Crimes in Edinburgh Sheriff Court1, 1997-98 to 2006-07

  

 Financial Year
 Prosecutions
 Convictions
 Percentage Convicted


 1997-98
 4,375
 3,782
 86


 1998-99
 4,119
 3,556
 86


 1999-2000
 3,686
 3,150
 85


 2000-01
 3,630
 3,106
 86


 2001-02
 3,319
 2,872
 87


 2002-03
 3,547
 3,040
 86


 2003-04
 3,345
 2,892
 86


 2004-05
 3,624
 3,126
 86


 2005-06
 3,785
 3,321
 88


 2006-07
 4,182
 3,607
 86



  Note: 1. Where main offence.

  Persons Prosecuted and Persons Convicted of Offences in Edinburgh Sheriff Court1, 1997-98 to 2006-07

  

 Financial Year
 Prosecutions
 Convictions
 Percentage Convicted


 1997-98
 6,576
 6,103
 93


 1998-99
 6,230
 5,750
 92


 1999-2000
 5,519
 4,992
 90


 2000-01
 5,459
 4,923
 90


 2001-02
 5,468
 4,989
 91


 2002-03
 6,088
 5,566
 91


 2003-04
 5,903
 5,365
 91


 2004-05
 5,516
 5,035
 91


 2005-06
 5,651
 5,179
 92


 2006-07
 6,238
 5,599
 90



  Note: 1. Where main offence.

Livestock

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the bluetongue vaccination programme will commence.

Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government’s industry bluetongue stakeholder group has agreed that any vaccination campaign is best undertaken during the winter vector free period when the climate is less favourable to virus transmission. The precise timings of the vaccination campaign cannot yet be set. Any date will be based on the analysis of emerging information on the disease situation within Great Britain as well veterinary, entomological and meteorological advice which will allow the vector free period to be established.

  The commencement date for any vaccination programme will be agreed in conjunction with stakeholder organisations. The Scottish Government will give stakeholders as much notice of any start date as possible to ensure that the timing of individual herd or flock vaccinations fits in with farm management decisions.

National Care Standards

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when a review of national care standards will be undertaken.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any review of national care standards will be open to public consultation.

Shona Robison: Section 5 of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 requires Scottish ministers to keep the national care standards under review.

  The National Care Standards Committee made recommendations to ministers on how best to review the national care standards. These have been considered and it has been agreed that a focussed review of the national care standards will take place.

  Work on the review is expected to begin in 2009-2010. Public consultation will be carried out if any proposed changes to the standards are considered to be substantially different.

Older People

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the prescribing of antipsychotic drugs is in keeping with promoting a healthier lifestyle for frail elderly people.

Shona Robison: Special care is required when antipsychotic medication is used in frail elderly people. Doctors should only be using medication of any type after careful consideration of the risks and benefits for the patient. With regard to antipsychotic medication, the standards for integrated care pathways for dementia published by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland contain specific standards about use of medication, monitoring physical health and evaluating benefits of medication (Bib. number 44374). These standards are being implemented by NHS boards and will be accredited from 2008 onwards.

Organ Transplants

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients are waiting for a liver transplant.

Shona Robison: There are currently 22 people in Scotland on the waiting list for a liver transplant.

Organ Transplants

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have waited more than a year for a liver transplant.

Shona Robison: Of the 22 people on the waiting list for a liver transplant four have been waiting over a year.

Organ Transplants

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients underwent a liver transplant in the last year and where the operations were performed.

Shona Robison: There were 66 liver transplants on Scottish residents from April 2007 to March 2008. This figure includes two transplants from living donors and one combined kidney and liver transplant.

  Sixty of these transplants were undertaken at the Scottish Liver Transplant Unit, based at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. Five of them were performed at King’s College Hospital, London and one at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham.

Organ Transplants

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many organ donations there have been in each year since 2004-05, broken down into donations of (a) kidneys, (b) pancreata, (c) hearts, (d) lungs, (e) livers; (f) corneas and (g) sclera.

Shona Robison: The information requested is set out in the following table.

  Organs/Eye Tissue* Donated from Deceased Donors at Scottish Hospitals**, April 2004 to March 2008, by Year and Organ:

  

 Organ
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08
 Total


 Kidneys
 114
 88
 99
 104
 405


 Pancreata
 16
 17
 17
 29
 79


 Hearts
 15
 15
 9
 15
 54


 Lungs
 20
 26
 9
 18
 73


 Livers
 54
 43
 35
 37
 169


 Total Organs
 219
 189
 169
 203
 780


 Eye Tissue
 
 
 
 
 


 Corneas**
 160
 138
 168
 195
 661


 Sclera**
 68
 127
 168
 195
 558


 Total eye tissue
 228
 265
 336
 390
 1219


 Total
 447
 454
 505
 593
 1999



  Source: UK Transplant.

  Notes:

  *Individual organs counted regardless of the outcome (used/not used, transplanted in combination, split, etc).

  **Includes eye tissue retrieved from hospices, funeral directors, homes etc by Scottish teams.

People with Dementia

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the recommendations of Always a Last Resort: Inquiry into the Prescription of Antipsychotic Drugs to People with Dementia Living in Care Homes, published by the Westminster All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia, have relevance in Scotland and, if so, what action it intends to take.

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14094 on 23 June 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

People with Learning Disabilities

Stuart McMillan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are used to determine whether people with learning disabilities should qualify for health checks.

Stuart McMillan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive in which local authority areas people with learning disabilities are referred for health checks.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is developing a framework for regular health assessments for all people with learning disability as part of the delivery of Equally Well: Report of the Ministerial Taskforce on Health Inequalities . This will build on developments through the learning disability enhanced service programme, which is being taken forward by 11 NHS boards. The enhanced service involves supporting the overall primary care needs of adults with learning disabilities and taking steps towards regular health assessments.

  NHS boards will work in partnership with local authorities to identify and support people with learning disabilities to access health assessments.

People with Learning Disabilities

Stuart McMillan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether health checks for people with learning disabilities include sight examinations.

Stuart McMillan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are plans to introduce compulsory eye examinations for people with learning disabilities.

Shona Robison: The framework for regular health assessments for people with learning disabilities that the Scottish Government is developing will include visual impairment checks.

  Furthermore, free eye examinations for all were introduced on 1 April 2006. Under the review of community eyecare services in Scotland, £2.6 million of pump priming funding has been made available to help develop eye care services in the community across Scotland, including projects for people with learning disabilities.

Police

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the operational impact will be on Strathclyde Police if the Scottish Government does not make extra funding available to cover the £29 million shortfall in pensions cost for 2009-10.

Kenny MacAskill: Operational policing is a matter for the Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police. Discussions between the Scottish Government, the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and COSLA on longer term pensions issues are continuing and we hope to reach a joint solution soon.

Prescriptions

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prescriptions for diazepam were issued in (a) NHS Borders, (b) NHS Dumfries and Galloway, (c) NHS Lanarkshire, (d) NHS Ayrshire and Arran and (d) NHS Lothian in each year since 1999.

Shona Robison: The flowing table shows the number of prescribed items for diazepam in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Borders, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Lothian for the financial years ending 31 March 2000 to 2008. The data given refer to prescription items dispensed in the community by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors but do not include medicines dispensed by hospitals or hospital-based clinics.

  

Year Ended 31 March
Ayrshire and Arran
 Borders
Dumfries and Galloway
 Lanarkshire
 Lothian


 2000
 44,594
 11,107
 21,025
 81,176
 86,692


 2001
 44,418
 11,575
 22,692
 86,244
 90,055


 2002
 48,109
 12,392
 23,584
 89,009
 93,880


 2003
 49,577
 13,251
 23,965
 89,909
 96,253


 2004
 52,566
 14,386
 25,229
 89,627
 101,514


 2005
 56,906
 14,902
 25,637
 90,279
 105,001


 2006
 60,026
 15,251
 25,578
 92,655
 108,241


 2007
 63,530
 15,428
 25,178
 95,744
 111,343


 2008
 62,304
 15,337
 25,181
 99,327
 114,427



  Note: The information in the table has been provided by NHS National Services Scotland.

Prescriptions

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether statistics are available to show the number of prescriptions for diazepam being issued, with reference to the underlying condition being treated, nationally and at NHS board level.

Shona Robison: NHS medicines usage data collected centrally relate to the number and cost of medicines dispensed in the community and do not include data on medicines dispensed in hospital or hospital-based clinics. Prescription data collected centrally are not patient-specific and do not indicate the condition for which a particular medicine was prescribed.

Scottish Government Finance

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the percentage has been of accounts due that have not been paid within 30 days of invoices being properly submitted to each directorate and agency for which it is responsible, at the end of each month since May 2007.

John Swinney: The annual accounts, laid in the Scottish Parliament and published on the Scottish Government website, contain information on payment performance. The production and audit of the consolidated Scottish Government accounts for 2007-08 is currently being finalised and the accounts are due to be published on 30 September 2008 (SG/2008/163). A copy of these will be placed in Scottish Parliament Information Centre. The individual accounts of executive agencies for 2007-08, some of which have already been finalised and published on their respective websites, contain the information for those individual bodies for that financial year.

Correction

The reply to question S3W-15223 which was originally answered on 21 August 2008, has been corrected: see page 4150 or http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/pqa/wa-08/wa0908.